Make Your Damn Bed

There's been an uptick in far-right/christo-fascist content on almost all of my various feeds lately. I've personally got a VERY niche "far left"/"abolitionist" social media feed, but recently this wildly problematic propaganda has been sneaking into every corner. But it's not just me. Trump appointed a grifter to sell "prayer" that would heal your illnesses and give you wealth for the ridiculously egregious cost of $1000. This person is an official white house representative being paid very well by our hard earned tax dollars. Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani are selling a subscription based prayer app. A pastor sold "God Coin" crypto scheme and rug pulled his supporters. Spoiler alert: God's grace isn't hidden behind a paywall. Independent Journalist to support: https://www.propublica.org/Activist to support: Bree Newsome: https://x.com/breenewsome?lang=enMore Progressive Pastors to support: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/us/politics/black-pastors-biden-gaza-israel.htmlTHE SOURCES: https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/03/31/trump-white-house-faith-advisor/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gwen-stefani-teams-catholic-app-193050197.htmlhttps://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/paula-white-house-faith-passover-video-supernatural-blessing-prosperity-gospel-exodus/https://baptistnews.com/article/trumps-faith-adviser-selling-seven-easter-blessings-for-1000-gift/Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.netDonate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-fundsGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

The four common phases of political evolution are: That's sad, That's fucked up, Fuck this shit, How do we get free?Original source was removed but here's a repost from another great creator: https://www.instagram.com/ijeomaoluo/p/C9VPQIZPE5z/?img_index=10Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.netDonate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-fundsGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Today I'm sharing a few techniques that can help to build a healthier relationship with me and my screens. Putting a rubber band or hair tie around your phone is a cheap and super effective way to increase your mindfulness of your usage.20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break looking at something 20 feet away. Having an alternative available builds the muscle of doing other activities rather than scrolling every single time our hands are idle. Turn off notifications. Delete apps you don't want to spend so much time on. Set screentime limits. Use an app to gamify your habits. Don't use your phone as an alarm clock. Put your phone on grayscale. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness strategies, and somatic therapy may help in certain circumstances, as well. The main resource: https://www.addictioncenter.com/behavioral-addictions/screen-addiction/More techniques: https://nosidebar.com/phone-addiction/And one last resource: https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/addiction/smartphone-addictionDonate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.netDonate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-fundsGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

"Screen use is a complex phenomenon with a continuum of behaviors ranging from severe use to complete abstinence. Some forms of use are safer than others and this should be discussed with children upfront. Remember that use and unhealthy use aren’t the same as addiction." - Kevin Y Xu , Tiffany Tedrick, Jessica A Gold Screen Use and Social Media “Addiction” in the Era of TikTok: What Generalists Should Know: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10743327/Differences in Screen "Addiction" in the Past 15 Years: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815312/ Children's screen "addictions": https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/campaigns/safesound/blog/why-are-kids-so-addicted-to-screensAddiction Center insights on screen addictions: https://www.addictioncenter.com/behavioral-addictions/screen-addiction/Donate to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund::www.pcrf.netDonate to Mutual Aid Funds: https://www.folxhealth.com/library/mutual-aid-fundsGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Lately, I’ve found myself using the internet less like a learning machine with limitless potential and more like a hypnosis machine slowly stealing my limitless potential.Donate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Instead of worrying about flawlessly juggling all the balls in your life, try to figure out if any of the glass balls are replaceable, or if you have any backup to help you balance or tidy or judge which balls need to be gently set down for a while. And if you step on some glass and feel some pain -You feeling pain isn’t a signal of failure but a reminder you’re human.  Is it possible to lower the stakes? Can you downgrade a glass ball from needing perfection to just needing completion? Can you put on a pair of shoes to protect yourself from these inevitable drops? Through boundary setting, therapists, community aid, etc. You feeling overwhelmed is a sign you’re paying attention, which is more than most people can say. Society has a way of telling us we’re doing a bad job no matter how well we’re doing, so let’s do better at reclaiming our agency over that feeling. Arbitrary timelines aside, what really matters? Socially mandated achievements aside, what do you really want?Donate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

I’m the type of person who always feels like I’m running late despite the fact that I very rarely am. I’ve been trying a new type of thought exercise where I take a moment to visit with a more senior or elderly me. Sometimes it’s my 81st birthday. I sit as her, with the underlying understanding that everything did eventually work itself out, and I had a great, full, and beautiful life despite all of its challenges. As I sit in my 80 ish year old body, I take a moment to reflect on the good parts I can recall and then I bring her back to my 37 year old body. With the back that creaks so much less often and feet that ache so much less intensely. I bring my senior self back into the apartment she hasn’t seen for decades in the town she sometimes misses. She looks at her partner with adoring eyes as they haven’t wrinkled and spotted in the sun just yet. She puts sunscreen on us both and digs out the old hobbies she regrets not taking more seriously. She takes her time to cook a nourishing meal with hands that don’t shake and arms strong enough to lift the dutch oven. She eats slowly because there is no rush, and she has learned that in her many years of rushing on this planet. She feels excited to be in a body she used to not appreciate. She wants to wander and explore with these eyes that seem to see more clearly and bones that don’t tire so quickly.  She’s not afraid about missing a boat because she realized there is no single boat. So I try not to be afraid of missing the boat. She reminds me that we can build our own boats, or chill on the beach - it doesn’t really matter as long as we remember it doesn't matter. As long as the truly objectively important shit gets done, we need to stop pretending like it’s possible to get everything else done too. One way to remember that is to allow your future self to lend you some peace and wisdom once in a while. So she lends me her peace and she lends me her wisdom and with it she returns to me more energized, and grateful to be alive and able to experience this time again. For the first time in years she is awakened to the miraculous nature of this current life. She is happy to be here, and she is me.  The source: https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/always-in-a-rush-maybe-its-time-urgencyDonate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Megan Phelp’s 4 rules for productively engaging with people who you disagree with:Don’t assume bad intent but instead, assume good or neutral intent.Ask questions: This signals that the person is being heard, and they also feel safer to ask questions in return.Stay calm: "right" doesn’t justify "rude". Pause, step away, use a digital buffer for social media exchanges, and then come back. Make the argument: don’t assume the value of your position should be obvious; it isn’t to others. If we want them to change, make the case for it.DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim + Offender - Aggressive avoidance of accountabilitySEP: Somebody Else's Problem - Passive avoidance of accountabilityTips for talking to people you disagree with: https://ideas.ted.com/4-tips-for-talking-to-people-you-disagree-with/DARVO wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARVOSEP wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somebody_else%27s_problemDonate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

COMMON TROLLING TACTICS: Ad Hominem attacks, Whataboutism, Just Asking Questions, Devil's advocate, Sockpuppets, Astroturfers, Do Your Own Researchers, Strawman, Tribalism, Tone policing, Hate mongering, Concern trolling, Moving the Goalposts, Red herring, False dilemma, Circular reasoning, DARVO, Thought terminating cliches, Outrage baiting, Derailing, Dogpiling, Virtue Signaling. HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM: Name the tactic: ("This is a classic strawman.")Refocus on facts: ("Here is what we’re actually discussing.")Set boundaries: ("If you keep [tactic], I’m done.")Disengage if needed: Don’t feed the damn trolls.Samantha North on Internet Trolling Tactics https://samanthanorth.com/internet-trolling-tacticsSamantha North on Astroturfing: https://samanthanorth.com/astroturfing-on-social-mediaLogical Fallacy List: https://opexsociety.org/body-of-knowledge/effective-arguing-beware-of-logical-red-herrings/Donate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund: www.pcrf.netGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.